


Brightest Skies Ahead

by cinder21



Category: Moominvalley (Cartoon 2019)
Genre: Human AU, I hope I can add more tags later lol, M/M, Moomin Human AU, Moominmamma - Freeform, Snorkmaiden - Freeform, Snufkin - Freeform, honestly idrk what to tag rn since I mostly typing this with no foreseeable plan, littlemy, moominpappa - Freeform, moomintroll - Freeform, sniff, snufmin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-21
Updated: 2020-02-09
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:27:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22341790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cinder21/pseuds/cinder21
Summary: Moomin's new home in a sunny beach town differs greatly from the one he and his parents previously lived in. He finds himself out of his house more often than usual, meeting new people he is quick to consider his friends. Snorkmaiden plays with his hair and comments on how well it is groomed, Sniff and he share a love for photography, My doesn't go easy on him while playing soccer-- for once, Moomin feels comfortable with peers his own age. Especially My's younger brother, who is also Moomin's age. Snufkin teaches him how to make blades of grass whistle and steals coffee beans from the supermarket using his pockets. Moomin is more than comfortable around Snufkin, however-- he's fond of the other lad. Very fond. Never before has Moomin felt so smitten over someone before. Can he really handle that?
Relationships: Mumintrollet | Moomintroll/Snusmumriken | Snufkin
Comments: 6
Kudos: 52





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First chapter done!! Thank you for reading this-- I haven't written fan fiction in so long, so this feels kind of new and exciting for me hehe. Shout out to my pal Andy (@andwew on Tumblr) for proofreading this for me!! I'm a bit of an illiterate at times so I truly do appreciate it. Next chapter should be coming soon most likely. We're gonna meet some of Moomin's new pals!! I also hope to keep each chapter as long as this one was, so updates should be pretty easy lol.

Scraps of masking tape and elongated plastic sleeves littered the floor of the little bedroom. A small carpet rested against the wall closest to the door, which had little printed photos from Google images taped on the back. The bed creaked as it’s recipient stood on it, trying to get a poster he was gifted for his birthday straight rather than crooked on the wall. 

Once satisfied, he sat down on the edge of his bed, stood up, and admired the handy work he has made of his new bedroom so far. The majority of the posters had diagrams of insects and plants on them, the background color a light beige and the Latin names of each specimen specified underneath. Other wall decorations were pieces of his own photography, letters from family back in Europe, and postcards both he and his parents have collected. His desk and clothes haven’t even been brought into the room yet, and he feels as though he has done a splendid job so far.

“Well done, Moomin.” He beamed, hugging himself with tired arms. 

His attention was caught back towards the mess on his floor, which was sticking to his socks. Wrinkling his nose, Moomin bent down and gathered the garbage in his arms, now needing to take the garbage downstairs to where the garbage bins were. He passed by Mamma, who was adjusting the family photo they had printed from their vacation to Austria the month earlier. Summer was halfway over now.

Moomin looked at the photo, both reminiscing and taking note of his appearance. Himself, Pappa, and Mamma were far from being small people. They were all close to the same height, and had wide frames. Never having grown out of his baby platinum blond hair, Moomin was close to having lighter hair than Mamma, who’s hair was blond with white streaks. Pappa had humongous eyebrows, which Moomin fortunately only inherited a little bit. All four of them wore wool sweaters and rubber boots, Mamma the most fashionable by accompanying hers with a skirt.

“Don’t stare too much, dear. You still haven’t thrown away your garbage.” Mamma reminded her son, rubbing his shoulder as she walked past him and into the kitchen. Moomin’s face went red.

From where he stood, Moomin could see Pappa in the dining room. His father grumbled frustrated on the floor, eyebrows creased as he read over the IKEA instructions on how to assemble the new dining room table. The pieces lay scattered in front of the frustrated man, who gnawed at a toothpick in his mouth.

To Moomin, his mother was the most elegant and patient person he’d ever met. Pappa got lucky, especially considering she’d probably end up putting the table together in the end. 

Following in her footsteps, Moomin was in the kitchen with his mother. She was at the counter, kneading dough for a loaf of bread for sandwiches that week. Ever since Mamma mastered her mummo’s bread recipe, their household hasn’t bought a loaf of bread from the store. Not that Moomin was complaining-- his great-grandma could make quite the loaf.

Moomin lingered near the trashcan to watch his mom knead for a few more moments. He hasn’t really talked to either of his parents since they got out of the moving van. Sleeping in the car was an option, but he has a hard time sleeping sitting up. He fell like a rock on his new bed once they arrived.

“I really love the picture, Mamma.” He finally declared, rubbing his arm and admiring how soft his own peach fuzz was. “The one of us in Austria.”

A thoughtful hum from Mamma, “I’m glad! Pappa and I were so glad we finally were able to bring you to Europe, even if it was so close to before we moved. You are doing well, right? Caught up on sleep?”

Moomin’s heart thumped heavy in his chest, knowing well he has had hardly enough sleep. “Well enough, I suppose.”

Boxes of kitchen supplies still lingered in the kitchen. Mamma had gone shopping soon after the moving van landed at their new home, so she really only had organized what she needed at that point. Being the good son he is, Moomin lingered towards one of the boxes Mamma had already opened, intending to put the contents away (even though he’d have no idea where Mamma would want it. 

“Thank you, dear, but I actually have a different chore for you.” Mamma requested calmly, putting a towel over two loaf pans. Moomin questioned how fast she managed to get to that step of the bread-making process. 

Out of her apron, Mamma handed Moomin a map of their new town. “Ride your bike and go to the grocery store? I meant to pick up a rotisserie chicken for dinner when I was their earlier, but I’m afraid I forgot. I’ve circled the street our house is on and where the store is.”

Moomin opened the map up, memorizing the roads he needed to turn on and whether to turn left or right on them. “I can do that Mamma, but why me? Pappa could probably use a break.”

As if it were clockwork, a frustrated groan came from the dining room, preceded by a crash. 

“Oh, I’m sure he does,” Mamma fondly commented, a giggle coming from the deepest part of her diaphragm, “But I want you to get to know the town. It’s summer too, so there’s bound to be plenty of other kids around to meet.”

She brushed a piece of Moomin’s hair behind his ear, looking at her son with adoring eyes. “Maybe look for a barbers shop. You and Pappa can go there and get a haircut later this week.”

A groan rang in Moomin’s head. He hates going to the barbershop with Pappa— if Mamma wanted him to get a haircut with Pappa, she might as well shave him herself. That’s what the old men at the barbershops always did to him anyways. Besides, he preferred it when his hair was outgrown like it was at the moment. It made him feel pretty. 

Despite being displeased by his mother’s suggestion of getting rid of his beautiful locks, Moomin still gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek before he left. And for Pappa, he offered some words of encouragement and a goodbye. 

His bike was blue, and the front had a crate zip-tied onto the handles. In his old neighborhood, the kids who lived next door to him would put their stuffed animals in it and pretend their teddy bears and cabbage patch kids were ET, and Moomin himself was Elliot. Then they’d ride through the neighborhood, pretending they were flying past the moon. As silly as it was, Moomin enjoyed pretending to be Elliot for those kids. Maybe he should join theatre at his new school?

He pulled his bike out onto the sidewalk, taking one final look at Mamma’s map. He had three hours until sunset


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Writing dialogue for Snorkmaiden is my new favorite thing I tell you what. Again many thanks to Andy (@andwew on Tumblr) for proofreading for me. If there's anything Andy, me, or my Grammarly add on missed, please let me know!! I also have made a Tumblr exclusively for fic updates. So follow @woogle-boogle if that interests you!! Peace out

The heat from the chicken fogged up its plastic cage in Moomin’s crate-basket. Riding his bike to the grocery took not too long at all, but he had forgotten to grab money to buy the meal on his first trip. Fortunately for him, he had realized this not too far from his new home. He was as red as an apple in fall when he had to explain his situation to Mamma. She laughed, mostly at herself for forgetting to give her son the money in the first place, and sent him on his way again. 

The moon was starting to show itself as Moomin walked out of the store, the sun still not done with its turn in the sky. He decided to follow his mother’s advice and get a little lost in his new town, see what may be the latest happenings.

Built near the shore of the ocean, Moomin’s new town was filled with old retirees. He was used to that-- Pappa and Mamma’s friends tended to be older, and plenty of their old neighbors were wrinklier than a fat cat shaved. What he wasn’t used to was the greater amount of teenagers his age who also seemed to live in the town. Moomin was used to being a babysitter, having been the oldest kid in his old neighborhood. The friends he did have didn’t hang out with him very often. Everyone in his school knew him, however. Whether he was Moomin who lets anyone copy his homework or Moomin who bought people lunch when they forgot theirs. Plus, it was a small school. Everyone knew everyone, but nobody really knew anyone. But as he rode his bike through town, chicken bouncing with each bump, Moomin made two examinations:

1\. Kids his age here actually hung out with each other outside of school.  
2\. If he didn’t make any new friends soon, he’d be a total loner.

Though not totally intimidated by this, Moomin still was nervous at the thought of having to start over again socially. It could be good, though. Now he won’t have to be a movie character to be liked by just little kids. Plus, it was still summer! He had plenty of time to meet people before the school year started, and that would help give him some footing.

While thinking all of this through, Moomin rode through a park in the town’s downtown area. It was relatively empty, except for some old couples taking a stroll and some high schoolers spending time with each other. His focus wasn’t completely there, and before he knew it, a shrill voice yelled, “Watch your head!” at him. What followed was a soccer ball hitting Moomin in the side of his face.

Completely caught off guard, Moomin's head jerked the other way. He, fortunately, caught his balance before falling off of his bike. He put the breaks on his bike and looked in the direction the ball had originally come from. A short, under average height girl, was jogging his way, a gruff expression on her face. Her bright red hair was tightly held out of her face by a bun, which only had a few stray hairs poking out. She wore a hoodie and swishy athletic shorts with socks that went halfway up her calves. Moomin could tell she had a very athletic build.

She picked up the ball which had bounced off Moomin’s head and onto the ground. “You’re sturdy!” She commented, looking up at the pale-haired boy. She really did make Moomin feel like a giant. 

“My, is he okay?!” A new voice called from further away. From what Moomin could see, there were two other people from the direction where the short girl was.

Groaning, the small one turned around. “YES, HE’S FINE!” she shouted, louder than needed really. The other two really weren’t that far away. She turned back around, exhaling heavily. “Come with me, we have a cooler with us. I’ll give you a popsicle to put on your head.

Moomin checked the time on his wristwatch. It was still 30 minutes until he typically has dinner, so he saw no harm in following her. Besides, Mamma did tell him to look around for other kids his age. Silently, he got off his bike and rolled it along at his side as the shortie led him towards the other two. 

“What’s your name?” Moomin finally spoke, clearing his throat afterward.

“My.” The shortie responded plainly.

“Just My?”

“No, that’s stupid. My full name is Mymble, but that’s also my sister’s name. My is just a nickname everyone calls me. I like it though.”

“Your parents gave you and your sister the same name?”

“She’s about three years older than me-- they probably just forgot.”

Moomin didn’t want to question any further.

When My and Moomin reached the other two, Moomin could see them more clearly. The one who had called them early appeared to be a girl around Moomin’s age. Her hair was in a bob with bangs resting on her forehead and was bleached blonde. He was only able to tell because her roots were showing at the base of her head. She was chubby, and the dress she wore flattered her well. To accessorize, a fanny pack rested snugly on her hips, and a golden anklet was clipped around her ankle.

The other person was a boy who also seemed to be Moomin’s age. His hair was clipped close to his head, and his eyebrows were furrowed together as he examined Moomin. He had a lazy chin, and his arms and legs were skinny. He wore cargo shorts, a t-shirt, and a big zip-up hoodie. His complexion was tanner than both of the girls combined.

My introduced Moomin to the others, “This is Moomin. The girl is Snorkmaiden and the boy is Sniff.”

Snorkmaiden enthusiastically greeted Moomin, “It’s nice to meet you! I haven’t seen you around, though. Did you move in recently?”

Surprised, Moomin’s ears flushed red. “Uh, yeah. My family and I arrived here earlier this morning. We live over by the park on Johnsburg and Randall--”

“I don’t know street names here.” Snorkmaiden admitted, not an ounce of embarrassment in her voice, “Is it the green park or the yellow one?”

“Yellow.” Moomin laughed a bit, already warming up to Snorkmaiden.

Sniff appeared next to Snorkmaiden, rocking on his heels. “Why do you have a rotisserie chicken? It’s gonna get cold if you don’t eat it soon.”

“Well, uh, my mom asked me to pick it up for dinner since she-” Moomin was interrupted by My putting a popsicle in his hand. It felt cold and pleasant.

“Do you only know how to talk about food, Sniff?” My sneered, a smirk on her lips.

“Oh, hush up My!” Sniff retorted back, obviously now embarrassed.

Moomin quickly drew his attention back to Sniff. “No, it’s okay! My mom wanted me to pick it up for dinner tonight, and she told me to bike around town and try to meet some people afterward.”

Sniff sighed in relief.

“Sniff, My, and I meet here in the park every day.” Snormaiden explained, continuing the conversation, “My is gonna be going to college once summer ends, so we try to spend as much time together as possible. She doesn’t make it very easy to want to hang around with sometimes.”

The two girls smiled at each other, Snorkmaiden’s more mischievous and My’s more sarcastic. Moomin was just more shocked that My was at least 17.

“I’ve got an idea if you don’t mind.” Sniff declared, all attention going towards him. This suddenly made him tense up, but he can continue. “Why don’t all three of us show Moomin around town?”

“Oooh! We can show him Mr. Hemulen’s flower shop! And My, we can take him to your mom’s boutique!” Snorkmaiden spitballed, bouncing on the tips of her toes.

My was less amused. “I dunno. There might not be enough things around to show him. I want something else to do?”

Suddenly, an idea popped into his head, “Why don’t we play soccer? There are four of us, so we can play two on two. That is if you all would like to?”

My cackled, “That’s more like it! I’m in.”

“I suppose I am, too. You better go easy on us though, My.” Sniff explained, nose twitching.

“I never go easy on anyone. Ever.” My retorted back.

“Then it’s settled! I’ll call you all tonight to make sure our parents are fine with it all.” Snorkmaiden planned.

Getting close to Moomin, she opened her fanny pack and took out a permanent marker. She then stuck her hand out, “Write your number on my hand, would you?” She kindly requested.

Moomin was grateful he took the time to memorize the new phone home. He was also grateful that he was making new friends already.

When he got home, Mamma was finishing up on the new table, and Pappa was the one finishing dinner.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whoo! Another chapter in the books. Sorry that it is so late btw, tech week for a show I'm in came around and I wasn't getting home until 9:00 pm for a whole week ughh. As always, thank you to Andy for editing!

Snorkmaiden called Moomin’s house around 9:00 that night. He was up in his room finishing up his decorating at that time though, so Mamma was the one who answered. 

“Your friend Snorkmaiden called.” Mamma alerted Moomin, who was sitting on by this point. 

His cheeks and ears became hot, “Did she not ask to speak with me?”

“No, she was just asking my permission to let you go out tomorrow. Why didn’t you just ask me yourself?”

“Snorkmaiden said she’d call tonight with plans. I wouldn’t think she’d just ask you without consulting me first.”

“Well, do you want to go out with Snorkmaiden tomorrow?”

“Yes. Very much so.”

“Then I’m glad I told her you would go. You will be meeting at the elementary school’s park at noon.” Mamma smiled sweetly, closing the door behind her as she left her son alone again.

Moomin knew his mother was proud of him during that moment. Though there were a plethora of reasons why his family moved, one of them was definitely to help him extend his range of friends. Knowing Moomin so easily made a new friend on his first day in a new town probably warmed Mamma’s heart. It warmed Moomin’s own heart as well.

When morning came, breakfast consisted of fried eggs and toast with butter and honey smeared on. Moomin came down with his backpack packed for the day, and this sparked Pappa’s curiosity.

“Already have plans, I can see.” Pappa examined, smiling.

Moomin hummed, putting his bag to the side as he put a couple of slices of toast on his plate. “I met a few people yesterday. They’re gonna show me around town today, and later we’re playing soccer.”

Smile extending to a grin, Pappa made a pleasant grunt. He ruffled the top of his son’s head. “That’s my son! I’m glad to hear it. Do you need me to refill the tires on your bike before you head off?”

The thought of overinflated bike tires made Moomin feel uneasy. He shook his head no and smiled to show Pappa he appreciated the offer.

Casual small talk was made between the two during their meal. Mamma was in the backyard getting her new garden started, so there was no one to move the conversation along for them much. However, that’s how it had always been for Moomin and his father. Conversations were either small and not filled with much meaning or extravagant and had deep involvement on both sides.

Leaving the house at eleven, Moomin made sure to give himself plenty of time to get lost. He was positive he rode past the elementary school at least once the other day, but didn’t want to risk being late because he was lost. He mounted his bike, putting his backpack in his crate (which eliminated the purpose of both objects, and it made Moomin feel slightly foolish).

Taking off, Moomin rode past both the yellow and green park, both filled with children at play. As he rode further into town, the amounts of people grew larger and larger. Most of their skin was either tanned by the sun or burnt by it, and not one person seemed to travel alone. This would’ve been a rarity in Moomin’s old neighborhood. 

Once again, he found himself in the downtown area. He knew by this point that he definitely didn’t know where the elementary school was, and definitely knew he needed to ask for help. He walked to the first establishment his eyes fell on, hoping a worker would be kind enough to give him some directions. After all, he didn’t want to bother any pedestrians trying to enjoy time with their friends.

He walked towards a soap store, fascinated by the idea that an entire store could be dedicated to soap. Yet as he approached the store, he could hear noises from the alley located behind the store. Curiosity caused his attention to be brought towards the commotion, despite his better judgment telling him to not do so. It could have been an ill-intended animal!

Parking his bike on the side of the soap store, Moomin braced himself as he crept closer to the alley. The noise was coming from the dumpster, which made sirens go off in his head. Forcing them to be turned off, Moomin took in a deep, brave breath.

He knocked on the dumpster. “Hello? Is there someone in there?” He announced, voice wavering as he spoke. This whole situation felt silly to him. Why was he so invested in a rumble coming from a trash’s home?

The crashing and bumping halted, which made Moomin jump. A scramble could be heard from the inside, which led up to the lid opening. A kid who looked to be about Moomin’s age popped out. Their hair was shaggy and waved up at the ends above their chin. Their arm was littered with little Sharpie tattoos, and the design and color of their t-shirt looked rather worn out. Their nose was striking, and their eyes were big and brown with heavy lids.

“What’s up?” The kid asked, causing Moomin to think his voice was similar to the taste of the honey toast he had that morning. The thought made him feel bashful. 

Getting out of his own head, Moomin cleared his throat. “Uh, I heard a noise back here and it startled me. What are you doing in the trash?”

A deep chuckle came from inside the kid's throat. It made Moomin be reminded of the way Mamma laughs when she finds something amusing. Diving back down into the dumpster, the kid popped pack up seconds later, a clear garbage bag filled with popcorn in their hand.

“The movie theatre down the street throws away their leftover popcorn here,” they explained, a mischievous sound in their voice. “The lads and I are having movie night tonight, so we’re gonna turn this bad boy into a shitton of caramel corn.”

Moomin was impressed. Subconsciously, he puckered his lips and raised his eyebrows, continuing to digest the information he was given. “Well, do you need some help getting that bag out?”

“Glad you asked.” The kid swang the bag over the side of the dumpster. Moomin grabbed the bottom, gently lifting it up and away. He shimmied it down his body and placed it on the concrete. The kid hopped out of the dumpster seconds after, a little grunt coming from their mouth when feet touched the ground.

Popcorn now out of Moomin’s possession, the kid swung the bag over his shoulder, similarly to how Santa holds his bag of toys. 

“Much obliged.” The kid commented, swaying side to side gently, “can I get a name?”

Moomin smiled, pride swelling in his chest. “Moomin. What about yourself?”

“Snufkin,” They responded, reaching his hand out, “Are you new in town, Moomin? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around before.”

“My parents and I moved here yesterday.” Moomin explained, gratefully accepting Snufkin’s hand with a firm shake, “I’m actually supposed to be meeting up with some friends I met yesterday but got lost along the way. To our meeting spot, that is.”

“Well, where are you heading?”

With that, Snufkin gave Moomin the directions to the elementary school, complimenting Moomin’s bike as he was about to ride off and saying that they hoped to see Moomin again sometime soon.

Though Snufkin’s behavior was odd, Moomin thought they were also rather charming. He enjoyed their short three minutes together. He couldn’t get the thought of the friendly stranger out of his head, and how sweet their goodbye was. He also enjoyed their calmness, and how nonchalant Snufkin was about their popcorn adventures. The only thing to interrupt Moomin's thoughts was Snorkmaiden, who was calling at him as he rode onto the elementary school's blacktop.


End file.
